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City Government

Town Center Grand Opening Set For Saturday, April 27

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Town Center at Peachtree Corners

It’s been a long time coming – but the day to celebrate the completion of the city’s Town Center is upon us. On Saturday, April 27, the afternoon will be filled with fun activities, music, food and more as we revel in the culmination of years of planning, designing and constructing of our Town Center.

The Grand Opening of the all-new Town Green at Town Center on Saturday, April 27th from 4 pm – 9 pm.  Admission is FREE to enjoy the grand opening parade, DJ, strolling performers and a variety of food vendors. Fans can also visit one of the many restaurants located within the Town Center and bring food to the Town Green. 

The festivities will get underway with a parade at 4 p.m. Starting at Peachtree Corners Circle and Medlock Bridge Road, the parade will march along Medlock Bridge and Town Center Boulevard.  The community is invited to watch the parade along the parade route and then join in at the end as the parade leads everyone into the new Town Center. 

The City Council will be on stage at the Town Green to welcome everyone at the conclusion of the parade. After that, there will be a DJ playing music and strolling entertainment throughout the afternoon.  At 8 p.m. the Atlanta Rhythm Section will perform on stage.  Following the concert will be a drone show that will light up the night sky.

“The Council and I are delighted to finally announce the opening of our Town Center,” said Mayor Mike Mason. “This is an exciting day for the city. Our new Town Center will be a place to make memories. We invite the Peachtree Corners community to come and celebrate with us.”

On-site parking is limited, but there is plenty of parking at off-site locations along Peachtree Corners Circle and shuttles will be running continuously. Look for signs to parking lots posted along Peachtree Parkway. Carpooling is encouraged. For this event, no pets or coolers please. (Both will be welcomed at other events.)  Refreshments will be available for purchase, but no tickets are required for the Grand Opening event or the Atlanta Rhythm Section concert.

Town Center Timeline

Turning a 21-acre tract of land into a place that would become the central gathering place for community was no small feat. The city was barely six months old when it took a giant step in purchasing the land that was destined for 267 garden-style apartments and creating instead a special place for all our citizens to enjoy.

The concept for a Town Center was developed from a Livable Center Initiative (LCI) study in which citizens were polled – the overwhelming majority wanted to see a city center on the undeveloped property. The property then was rezoned to accommodate a mixed-use development, a design concept was approved, a contractor selected, Fuqua, then finally a groundbreaking in June 2017.

The new development is filled with shops, restaurants, entertainment venues – and at the center is a 2+ acre Town Green. The large oval-shaped lawn is surrounded by two open air pavilions, performance stage, large screen TVs, café tables – and a veterans’ monument to honor our men and women who served or are serving our country. Additionally, construction on 72 townhomes will begin soon.

The all-new Town Green is located off Peachtree Parkway directly across from the Forum in the Town Center shopping center at 5140 Town Center Blvd.

Where to Park

Park and Walk: Park on Davinci Court off Peachtree Corners Circle (3720 Davinci Court, 3715 Davinci Court or 2745 DaVinci Court. Look for signs posted directing you to parking. Use the walking path from Peachtree Corners Circle to reach the Town Green.

Park and Ride: A FREE shuttle is available for guests who use the parking lots off Triangle Parkway and Metric Place (5430 Metric Place, 4725 Peachtree Corners Circle, 5390 Triangle Parkway). The shuttle will pick up and drop off at the corner of Triangle Parkway and Metric Place, in front of 5400 Triangle Parkway. Free shuttles to and from the Town Green will run from 4 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

Ride Share:  Attendees are encourage the use of the Ride Share for the event. Ride share drop off and pickup location is The Piedmont Bank, 5100 Peachtree Parkway.

Click HERE for a map of the parking locations and ride share location.

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City Government

Councilmember Eric Christ: 2025 Peachtree Corners Municipal Elections

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A white man with glasses, wearing a dark colored jacket walking in the road alongside a line of vintage cars.

Source: Peachtree Corners Post 2 Councilmember Eric Christ’s recent newsletter.

Peachtree Corners Municipal Elections Tuesday, November 4 in white font on a blue background.

On Tuesday, November 4, we will have municipal elections here in the City of Peachtree Corners for three council seats. [And] for the first time since 2013, there will be a state-wide election on the same day as our city general election. 

The state-wide election is to fill two seats on the Public Service Commission, which regulates Georgia Power and other utilities.

For the PSC election, the Gwinnett County Board of Elections will have all 156 county precincts open on November 4. Historically, Peachtree Corners has had a single voting location for city elections — at City Hall.

If we do the same this year, citizens who want to vote in both the PSC and the City Council elections will need to go to two places to cast their ballots.

A few years ago, I convinced the County Board of Elections to remove their prohibition against the Gwinnett Elections Department managing city elections. (Every county surrounding Gwinnett already offered this service to their cities.)

This means there is the potential of adding our city council elections to the county ballot.

I would like to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of combining our city council races with the county’s for this year’s elections. 

Please complete my brief survey by clicking here.



To sign up for Councilmember Christ’s newsletter or find him on social media, visit linktr.ee/votechrist.

You can read more from his latest newsletter updates here and here.

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City Government

City of Peachtree Corners Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

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Logo for the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

For the eighth year in a row, the City of Peachtree Corners has been esteemed with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. This award was presented by the Georgia Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget submission.

  • policy document
  • financial plan
  • operations guide
  • communications device

Certificate of Recognition

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award.

“Congratulations to the entire finance team on receiving this award,” said City Manager Brian Johnson

“This recognition is a testament to our team’s hard work, professionalism and commitment to excellence.”

There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website.

Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

About the GFOA

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the communities they serve.

About the City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia

As the heart of what is being called #SiliconOrchard in the metro Atlanta region, Peachtree Corners is a vibrant municipality that’s home to more than 45,000 residents and an innovation hub that houses some of the world’s most disruptive technology companies.

As the United States’ premier smart city powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G, Peachtree Corners serves as the model for how government and private industry can better collaborate to create a better future for society and business.

From the world’s first deployment of teleoperated e-scooters to fully autonomous shuttles being utilized by actual residents, and from a solar roadway to the largest electric vehicle charging hub in the region, Peachtree Corners is where the most future-forward Internet of Things (IoT) and sustainable technologies come to life for the benefit of its people and the world.

For more information, visit peachtreecornersga.gov.

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City Government

BRACK: How one city operates without property tax

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Peachtree Corners City Hall in the evening with flag display, signage and lights.

Some people lament paying taxes. They don’t understand that taxes allow us to live in a more civilized manner, helping and protecting us all along.  That’s why I don’t mind paying reasonable taxes for the safety of everyday living.

Many don’t recognize it, but you are often paying a small tax without realizing it as you go about your everyday business….but it’s not called a tax.

White man with white hair and glasses wearing a suit with a red tie, smiling. Beside the image is the name Ellliott Brack in all-caps blue letters on a white background.

It’s called a “fee.” Each time you pay your power or utility bill and cable bill, your insurance premium, when you rent a hotel room or car…and other ways…you are providing a few cents or dollars to help fund mostly local government.

The newly-minted City of Mulberry (and previously Peachtree Corners) will run its government without taxing property owners paying a tax to fund its operations.  How so?  Entirely from fees.  

Let’s visit what the other city without property taxes, Peachtree Corners, is doing. 

White man with short brown hair and facial hair wearing a suit, smiling at the camera with an American flag behind him.
Salley

We talked with Cory Salley, who is the finance director for Peachtree Corners. He sent along a graphic which shows where Peachtree Corners gets its funding, as well as how it is spent.  (See graphic.)

For the most part, Peachtree Corners is funded by fees. The biggest comes from Georgia Power Company, paying $2.8 million in fees for the city for 2025. Other utilities include $450,000 from Atlanta Gas Light Company; $250,000 from Comcast; $70,000 from Direct TV; and $42,000 from AT&T.  (That last figure was interesting, in effect, showing how few people have land-line telephones anymore.) Altogether, utility fees brought in $4.3 million in Peachtree Corners for 2024.

Another bucket of fees include $3.8 million in insurance fees. This comes in one check from the Department of Revenue, which collects insurance fees for all cities.

Each business in Peachtree Corners pays an occupational business license tax. With lots of professional offices in the city, these businesses contribute $4.4 million to the city coffers.

Infographic of the FY2025 Budget at a Glance for Peachtree Corners

Other fee collections for 2024:

  • Alcoholic licenses and sales: $1 million.
  • Zoning and land development permits: $1.4 million.
  • SPLOST funds on sales within Peachtree Corners: $10 million.
  • Automobile and vehicle purchases: $1.7 million.  This is interesting: no matter where you buy an automobile in Georgia, part of the sales tax reverts to the city where you live. 

Then there are other funds coming to the city; stormwater fees, grants, solid waste, etc. Altogether, it added up to approximately a $40 million income to run the city. 

Some specifics and the way they are figured: 

  • Real estate transfer taxes: This tax is imposed at the rate of $1 on the first $1,000 and 10 cents on each additional $10 on any conveyance of real property when the value of the interest transferred exceeds $100.
  • Distilled Spirits—up to 22 cents per liter on package sales and up to 3 percent of the sale price of a drink on sales to the public;
  • Wine—up to 22 cents per liter; and
  • Malt Beverages—up to $6.00 per bulk container (no more than 15.5 gallons) to be paid by the wholesaler and up to 5 cents per 12 ounces when sold in bottles, cans or other containers.
  • A municipality may levy a business license tax on depository financial institutions (such as a bank.) The maximum rate of this tax is 0.25 percent.
  • Hotel-motel tax: a municipality may levy a hotel-motel tax at a rate of 3 percent or less or at a rate of 5, 6, 7, or 8 percent. (Yes, let the out-of-towner pay!)

Perhaps this gives you an idea of how a city, like Mulberry in the future, can operate without property taxes.

Have a comment?  Send to: elliott@elliottbrack

Written by Elliott Brack

This material is presented with permission from Elliott Brack’s GwinnettForum, an online site published Tuesdays and Fridays. To become better informed about Gwinnett, subscribe (at no cost) at GwinnettForum.

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